Signal bar difference between using UK OEM file and US OEM file - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers

Is there suppose to be a difference in the signal bar display between using US OEM file vs UK OEM file?
It looks like US OEM file shows the GSM signal at the top of the screen and UK displays LTE signal at the top of the screen.
Does this difference actually affects the phone call quality? Does the phone actually keeps both channels open at the same time?
Thanks
How I notices the difference:
I purchased by phone with the 47.1.A.5.51 customized UK with US OEM files. I did not examine the cell signal issues because I always see 5-6 bars on the phone.
I am flashing the latest UK customized firmware to my phone because I know the my phone do not get OTA update message and I want the latest security update.
First I flash without moving the US OEM file into the customized UK firmware because I don't need VoLTE, I am on Cricket. That should also allows the phone to get OTA updates.
When the flashing is completed, I noticed .that the signal bar on the top of the screen starts to fluctuate a lot between no bar, 1 bar and 3 bars. Before it always pretty steady at 5-6 bars.
I used LTE discovery tool and see that it has the fluctuation on the LTE signal but GSM is pretty stable.
I reflashed the same firmware but this time I copied the older OEM files from the US firmware into the newer UK customized firmware.
The signal bar on the top of the screen is now steady at 5-6 bars. When I check with LTE discovery tool, I have the same fluctuating LTE signal but steady strong GSM signal.
It appears that the cell signal strength display is different between US OEM and UK OEM file.

omygod711 said:
Is there suppose to be a difference in the signal bar display between using US OEM file vs UK OEM file?
It looks like US OEM file shows the GSM signal at the top of the screen and UK displays LTE signal at the top of the screen.
Does this difference actually affects the phone call quality? Does the phone actually keeps both channels open at the same time?
Thanks
How I notices the difference:
I purchased by phone with the 47.1.A.5.51 customized UK with US OEM files. I did not examine the cell signal issues because I always see 5-6 bars on the phone.
I am flashing the latest UK customized firmware to my phone because I know the my phone do not get OTA update message and I want the latest security update.
First I flash without moving the US OEM file into the customized UK firmware because I don't need VoLTE, I am on Cricket. That should also allows the phone to get OTA updates.
When the flashing is completed, I noticed .that the signal bar on the top of the screen starts to fluctuate a lot between no bar, 1 bar and 3 bars. Before it always pretty steady at 5-6 bars.
I used LTE discovery tool and see that it has the fluctuation on the LTE signal but GSM is pretty stable.
I reflashed the same firmware but this time I copied the older OEM files from the US firmware into the newer UK customized firmware.
The signal bar on the top of the screen is now steady at 5-6 bars. When I check with LTE discovery tool, I have the same fluctuating LTE signal but steady strong GSM signal.
It appears that the cell signal strength display is different between US OEM and UK OEM file.
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Click to collapse
I came to the same conclusion. Seems to be purely cosmetic.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=75082655&postcount=225

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(Q)HTC one low signal bars UK EE/Orange

i recently unlocked, rooted and s-off my htc one, on stock i used to get around 5/4 signal bars and now i only get two/three.
im currently running trickdroid 7.5 rom 4.2.2.
so im looking for a radio which would work for orange/EE in the UK.
please can someone help, or point me into the right direction
this is the one for the 4.2.2 firmware
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42139108&postcount=18404
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
fixed
okk i just flashed 1.29.401.12 Radio and it's back to normal.
i found it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2245615
Lennyuk said:
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
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Click to collapse
thanks for the input but!
i never said i was using my data connection,
Same principle applies even with data off.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Lennyuk said:
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I have 5 bars when set to "GSM" only but 2-3 when set to "GSM/CDMA" .. that's as good?
I'm being serious btw, I normally set mine to just GSM as I seemed to have more signal but if there isn't any point then I won't bother lol ..I'm in the UK btw and on a network that doesn't support LTE (I think)
AllAboutTheCore said:
So if I have 5 bars when set to "GSM" only but 2-3 when set to "GSM/CDMA" .. that's as good?
I'm being serious btw, I normally set mine to just GSM as I seemed to have more signal but if there isn't any point then I won't bother lol ..I'm in the UK btw and on a network that doesn't support LTE (I think)
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You can confirm the 'type' of signal you are getting at any time in the menu > settings > about part of the phone.
Your phone will automatically switch to whatever the best signal is available at any time, you don't really need to change your GSM/WCDMA settings, unless you really want to force it away from 3G connections (again this does not mean you have to have data turned on).
Cool, I'm not too fussed about what data type it uses as I rarely have data turned on, I just naturally assumed that by switching it from GSM'CDMA Auto to just GSM, meant that I'd have better reception, being that the signal bars went from 2/5 to 5/5 ... You learn something new everyday lol
EDIT: I checked my signal, and I mean my reception, not the data connection type, when switched between GSM/WCDMA Auto and GSM Only and there is a huge difference. I found this guide:
dB Signal - A basic guide
-50 to -60 (very strong, near a cell tower)
-60 to -70 (extremely good, rare)
-80 to -85 (normal downtown)
-90 to -95 (getting on the weak side)
-95 to -98 (weak, dropping calls)
-98 to -100 (bad, hard to stay connected)
-100+ (basically no usable signal)
When I set my phone to GSM Only I hover around -70, which is good, when I switch to GSM/WCDMA Auto it is a different story. I know it changes and finds the best signal, which I might add drains more battery on an already power hungry beast, but I was hovering at -100 which is terrible and often calls were dropping or people were saying it was engaged when infact I hadn't used it.
It's clear to me that in my case, GSM Only is the far better option if I actually want to use my phone to make calls ... Data speeds I'm not arsed about so EDGE is just fine with me.

[Q] Access to more Network Mode options? XT1053

I saw a few screenshots of people's Moto X's from sprint with a bunch of options under Network Mode. I have the XT1053 (TMO unlocked, on ATT network) and the only options I see are "Auto" and "2G."
I browsed around and found that there's an LTE OnOff app, but I'm just wondering if there's a way I can get those options for 3G on my device's Network Mode option list?
The reason why I even care is because for some reason at my workplace, I can't seem to get any data through LTE. My signal will display 3 bars of LTE, but it absolutely does not work. While it will turn off LTE and just say 4G since it's on auto, I find that a majority of my day, it WON'T switch. It stays on 4G LTE 99% of the time and does not function at all. When I walk outside the building, LTE works perfectly fine. Would I be right to assume that the auto mode is literally on borderline between switching, so it never establishes a stable connection?
I guess it brings me to the question, is the Auto mode inefficient / will I have to live with manually turning off LTE every time I get to work? :/
noc215 said:
I saw a few screenshots of people's Moto X's from sprint with a bunch of options under Network Mode. I have the XT1053 (TMO unlocked, on ATT network) and the only options I see are "Auto" and "2G."
I browsed around and found that there's an LTE OnOff app, but I'm just wondering if there's a way I can get those options for 3G on my device's Network Mode option list?
The reason why I even care is because for some reason at my workplace, I can't seem to get any data through LTE. My signal will display 3 bars of LTE, but it absolutely does not work. While it will turn off LTE and just say 4G since it's on auto, I find that a majority of my day, it WON'T switch. It stays on 4G LTE 99% of the time and does not function at all. When I walk outside the building, LTE works perfectly fine. Would I be right to assume that the auto mode is literally on borderline between switching, so it never establishes a stable connection?
I guess it brings me to the question, is the Auto mode inefficient / will I have to live with manually turning off LTE every time I get to work? :/
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Click to collapse
3 bars of LTE is an excellent signal. With 1 bar of signal I can still get 15mbps down from my provider. If your phone is detecting such a strong received signal it won't be switching back to HSPA on its own. For some reason the building you're in may block the phones transmitted signal more then it blocks the signal from the cell site. I am guessing you're on band 4 LTE which has quite the frequency difference between uplink and downlink. Your only option(assuming the phone or cell site isn't defective) is to manually switch to WCDMA with a third party app such as the "LTE setting" app in the Play store. Or unlock your bootloader and flash firmware from another provider that has more options. I know the Rogers Canada firmware has an LTE on/off option, it also has a 2G only option. Sadly Rogers has not yet approved the release of 4.4 (kitkat).
Steve-x said:
3 bars of LTE is an excellent signal. With 1 bar of signal I can still get 15mbps down from my provider. If your phone is detecting such a strong received signal it won't be switching back to HSPA on its own. For some reason the building you're in may block the phones transmitted signal more then it blocks the signal from the cell site. I am guessing you're on band 4 LTE which has quite the frequency difference between uplink and downlink. Your only option(assuming the phone or cell site isn't defective) is to manually switch to WCDMA with a third party app such as the "LTE setting" app in the Play store. Or unlock your bootloader and flash firmware from another provider that has more options. I know the Rogers Canada firmware has an LTE on/off option, it also has a 2G only option. Sadly Rogers has not yet approved the release of 4.4 (kitkat).
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Click to collapse
That makes a lot more sense to me now. So basically the "Auto" mode only considers my reception and not transmittance strength, so it never saw a need to switch me off LTE. I am almost sure it is not my phone because I started experiencing a signal loss issue with my S3 a few days ago. I doubt it's the cell site because as soon as I step out of the building, LTE works with no problems.
I did ended up using LTE OnOff to force CDMA and I can actually do stuff now. I went and did a speedtest ...
Ping: 114 ms
Down: 4.06 Mbps
Up: 0.77 Mbps
I guess with the lack of options, I have yet another reason to roll up the sleeves and get my hands dirty. Haven't touched ABD since I had a samsung captivate!
Thank you

[Q] Cell reception indicator constantly flips between "no reception" display and bars

[Q] Cell reception indicator constantly flips between "no reception" display and bars
I'm using the Xperia Z3 Compact on TMobile's network in the US.
About 1/4 of the time when I turn on the display the phone indicates that it has no cell reception:
1) The phone shows no bars of reception, and a red X over the bars
2) The lock screen reads "Emergency calls only"
However, within a second or two the phone appears to acquire an excellent signal and I get a full 3-4 bar display. All of the areas in which I use the phone are marked as "Excellent" on TMobile's coverage maps.
This also happens intermittently while I'm using the phone. I'm not sure if it's actually losing the signal or if it's just a software issue. I've never had it drop a call or cut out while I'm talking.
I'm getting only acceptable battery life from the phone (about 25% at the end of the day) despite light usage and conservative app installation, even though this phone has a reputation for excellent battery life. My theory is that this might have to do with the phone constantly disconnecting from the network and then having to re-aquire a signal.
Anyone else had this experience with the Z3C?
Hey mate.. I posted the exact same issue a couple of months back. I was experiencing this exact same issue.
I've had my LTE disabled for about a month now and haven't had a single drop.
Not sure if LTE is a dealbreaker but since my device is a business line, I can "suffer" with better battery life and slower internet if I'm not dropping calls. I've considered trying a ROM with updated radio firmware but figured I'd wait to see what the current Lollipop update does ('ll re-enable LTE once I install it and see if it repeats the same behavior) for my phone before trying a 3rd party system.
Hope this helps
sh0nuff said:
Hey mate.. I posted the exact same issue a couple of months back. I was experiencing this exact same issue.
I've had my LTE disabled for about a month now and haven't had a single drop.
Not sure if LTE is a dealbreaker but since my device is a business line, I can "suffer" with better battery life and slower internet if I'm not dropping calls. I've considered trying a ROM with updated radio firmware but figured I'd wait to see what the current Lollipop update does ('ll re-enable LTE once I install it and see if it repeats the same behavior) for my phone before trying a 3rd party system.
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Really gratifying to know that it's not just my device. Seems like there's a strong possibility this is the issue since I'm on a MVNO that's only been on this LTE network a few months. I've flipped the device into GSM only mode and we'll see if it helps.
Dumb question how do i flip it into gsm?
qylie said:
Dumb question how do i flip it into gsm?
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Click to collapse
Settings>More>Mobile Networks>Preferred Connection type> GSM only
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks!!!
I'm having the same issue as you have described. For now I've set the phone to 3G prefered. Looks instantly better. Signal strength is also better.
Provider: Simyo (KPN network) - The Netherlands
Edit - Issue solved:
I switched from the Lollipop Baltic ROM to the Lollipop KPN carrier ROM for The Netherlands. The switching is gone for me. Battery life drastically went up.
Any update on this? I just started experiencing this issue out of no where about 2 weeks ago. I'm not rooted or anything, can't afford to due to job security requirements and such.

Nexus 6 signal issues on page plus

I had a S5 and normally had 2 bars of signal in my house all the time around -108dbm signal wise. Sometimes it will drop and lose calls or texts take a while to go thru but generally the phone was reliable and worked good.
I bought my unlocked nexus 6 2 days ago at best buy, popped in my sim card and connected to the network just fine.
In the house my signal bar is all over the damn place. 2 bars then no signal then 1 bar then no signal, is chalk it up to bad signal if it didn't do this outside the house also.
I haven't done anything to the phone so I don't know if it is just something little and stupid i need to change in the settings or if I need to flash the Verizon firmware on it . any help would be appreciated
There is no specific Verizon firmware. LMY48I is the current build. You could try flashing different radios and see if one works better for your towers.

Losing Network (Carrier) Signal every few seconds on 5.1.1 Stock Rom (G800F)!

Hi,
I just updated my device to the official lollipop (5.1.1) firmware and already tried different ROMs for different countries in Europe (carrier specific and not, my carrier is BASE/o2 in Germany) With each of them I noticed a really strange behaviour: My network signal drops every few seconds so that my statusbar shortly shows the no signal indicator. After that I do get signal again but the device will lose it after another few seconds. The strange thing about this is: If I try to make a call, I'am able to telephone as long as I want so it seems that there is no real signal drop... However it sucks and somehow I got really bad battery stats... May anyone help? I would appreciate it!
Thanks

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